Door closer



Aug. 20, 1935. STEVENS 2,011,694

' DOOR CLOSER Filed Dec. 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H- flMYZeI/emS' Aug. 20, 1935. H. A. STEVENS DOOR CLOSER Filed Dec. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 20, 1935 earsnr oF'FIcE DOOR CLOSER I Herbert Alfred Stevens, London, England Application December 28, 1933, Serial No. 704,337 In Great Britain December 28, 1932 2 Claims. (01; -72) .This invention relates to springs for doors, gates and like pivoted memberaand it has for its object to provide a form of spring which is extremely simple in construction. It is, moreover, reliable in operation, and can easily be ,fitted to a door or the like, while an additional advantage consists in the fact that, by suitably V positioning the fixing devices forming part of the spring, various effects can be obtained, and

in some cases such variations may be broughtv about by merely adjusting the setting of the spring relative to said fixing devices. A door or like spring according to the invention comprises a length 'of resilient strip having a, fixing-bracket attached at each end whereby the ends of the spring may be attached to the door and door-frame or equivalent parts respectively, the arrangement being such that one or both ends of the spring maybe orientated relative to the corresponding part of the door or door-frame, .and firmly clamped in position for regulating the efiect of the spring. ;The invention also provides a spring for controlling doors, gates or like pivoted members, comprising a comparatively long resilient strip or rod disposed in, a plane at right-angles to the pivotal axis of the door or equivalent, a bracket being attached to each end of the strip' or rod for securing to the door-frame or equivalent adjacent the pivotal axis of the door and to said door at a position remote from the said axis, respectively.

As a further feature the invention provides a door or like spring comprising a flexible spring member arranged for lateral bending and having at or adjacent each end a fixing member, one for attachment to the door and the .other for attachment to the frame, the arrangement being such that during the opening and closing of the door, bending takes place in the flexible spring veniently be arranged to bend only in one plane k and maybe mounted at or adjacent its ends in fittings, one at leastof which, when the door is installed, permits the corresponding end of the spring to be adjusted relative to the door or frame about an axis at right angles to the plane of bending. The spring may readily be provided with one or more bufiers or other resilient means serving to arrest the movement of the door in a gentle manner, and, if desired, springs in accordance with the invention may be arranged with readily releasable locking means whereby 5 the spring may be caused to produce various efiects.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood it is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

figure 1' is a fragmentary elevation showing one form of spring secured in position upon a door and door frame;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan corresponding to Figure l, the door being partially opened;

Figures 3 and 4 show diagrammatically the positions occupied by the spring;

Figure; 5 shows in sectional plan a modified construction of door spring; and

Figures 6, '7 and 8 are part sectional elevations showing modifications in the fixing and adjusting means.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a door indicated at it! is pivotally mounted upon a door frame I I by means of hinges, one of which is indicated at l2, and said door I0 is required normally to close itself. To this end a spring member G3 in the form of a comparatively thin strip or a number of such strips superimposed is mounted radially in a slotted peg M, and is conveniently held in position by means of a rivet IS, the peg i i being carried rotatably by a collar I 6 which is formed integrally with a fixing plate ll secured to the frame 1 I. Rotational movement of the peg l4 relative to the collar 16 is permitted, the adjustment so provided being locked by means of a knurled or otherwise formed set screw i8 which may, if desired, engage its inner end with one of a series of recesses formed, in the peg M.

In order to strengthen the spring member l3,

a reinforcingstrip i9 extends therealong, and is conveniently held in place at its'outer end by, means of a clip 20, thus producing a laminated construction; The other end of the spring i3 is similarly mounted in apeg 2i, and this extends downwardly into the collar 22 of a fixing bracket,

indicated generally at 23, on the door, a locking screw 24 being provided.

With a View to avoiding noise and vibration as the door closes, a buffer is provided for co-operar tion with the peg 2|, and this is shown more clearly in Figure 2. A block or other suitable bracket, indicated at 25, is attached to the door frame It and carries a spring clip 26 of substaning torque about the pivotalaxis of the door increasesasthe door is opened, thus providing'am' plepower'for closing the doorin all circumstances. I If how.ever,' the screw 25 allowed to operate ina'circumferential slot formed in the, peg 2! so upon thesettingof; the pegs M and, 2i relativev to the frame M fandfdoo'r ill respectively,fwhile by the suitable arrangement of these parts, various effects can be obtained. Thus, Figure 3 shows diagrammatically the disposition assumed by the spring .l3 when it is originally'set in the manner 1 shown in Figure 2, both of the screws l8 and 24 being securely tightened. Inthiscase the clos- 25 m; permit a limited angular 'freedom'of the latte'rEwithin the collar 2 2, the effect, indicated 1 in Figure 4,'may be 'obtained. In this casewhen the door is fullyopened to the position shown, pivotal movement of-the spring i3 and' peg 2i takes place ithinthe bracket 23 and'this autonatically retains, the fdo'orin'its' fully-open position-.5 When, however, the door, i is slightly moved towards its closed position, by manual or other means, the spring 13 once more becomes effectualand'causes said door tobe completely closed inan automatic manner.

The actualconstructi n of the device maybe modifiedin various ways, and Figure illustrates an adaptation which is somewhat more compact and which may be arranged to co-operate between "the upright part of a, door frame and the associated portion of the door. In'thisinstance, the

spring i3 is secured as beiore an'adj'ustable manner relative to the: door frame-l ithro'ugh-the medium of a bracket 23 anda peg the-latter being provided with locking means (not shown) whereby its angular setting relative tothe bracket 29 may be preserved ;'A'reinforcing strip 19 and clip 2il are provided as before described, but the other end of the spring i3 is spirally'formeias "indicated at 3 I and is arranged to freely encircle a screw 32 or equivalentupwardly projecting pin carried by afixing bracket 33, the'latter in turn I being secured to thedoor l8, Whensaid door! is opened; the springreffect is imparted partly "due to the bending of the door frameendof the spring [3 and stripv l9, and partly by the uncoil- 'ing' of the spiral portion 3!, thus producing an. extremely smooth action and enabling the device to be used, if desired, with doors which 'open in ,either'direc tion, In this case, it may 'some'time's be found desirable to provide a separate springil 3 60 upon each side of the door Various modifications may frame, and variousgforms are shownin Figures 6,

a "a: lug 36, which latter is in turnsecured to the v a 7 'and 8 Referring'to the firstof these, it will seen that an angle bracket 34 I is p'erforate'd to' receive a screw threaded pin 35- formed' uponp I be madein'the construction oi the fittings whereby the ends of the Spring'memberare anchored to the door and door spring I3, the pin 35 being provided with a nut 3'! which may be tightened for locking the lug 36, conveniently by means of a tommy bar inserted in a diametral hole 38.

The form of fitting shown in Figure more particularlywhere projecting mouldings or r equivalent obstacles are encountered in fixing the door frame bracket such as i'L'and in this instance a tubular socket 39 issupported on an arm 50; the latter being'formed jwithfa fixing plate 4!, while a peg 42 is secured to the spring I3 and is locked in the appropriate angular position within the sleeve 38 by means of a; set screw 43, a series ofdepressions at being formed around the circumference of the pegfl? for securing-an ade' quategripl I V The arrangement-shown in Figure, 8 is applicable'where overhanging door frames are provided and 'in ;this instance a substantially U-shaped bracket is formed with a fixingplate Q6, and is arranged to receive the vertically disposedrpin fillwhich is'slotted for the receptioni'of the spring "53. At its'lower part the pin t'i'is'formedwith a hut or collar 48,' and isjfscrew-threaded for the reception of" a butterfly nut lfi-f-or Although in the descriptionthepresent inve'n tion is referred. todoors, it will be appreciated that it is equally applicable to othenforms' ofpivoted members, such for instances as gates, flaps or lids, andit will be understood that these modifications are to'beincluded' withintheiscope of the Words door and door frame], H

7 is useful locking vthe i angular setting of thespring l3,

, The improved form 'of doorsp'ring is extremely serviceable and robust in use; as the resilient inember issubjected only to comparatively low stresses,

and in consequence breakage very rarely occurs,

spring is sufficientlyistrongto close a door of the ordinary. kind such'as isfound in the usual dwelling house. 1

WhatIclaim'is: .y r 1. spring for closing a door'or the, likecomjprising a curvedresilient strip, pegs, each'peg being diametrically "slotted from one vend and ends 'of the strip being 'securedin the'slots, brackets "adapted to be secured .to' the door andadoor frame respectively within 'which'fthe' respective and it is found also'lthat aicomparatively short pegs are rotatably engaged, and a buffer adapted I to'be secured'on the door frame and'including. a

spring clip tolcla'sp 'the'peg on the door.

21A spring'for closing-.a'door comprising a resilient strip, brackets adapted to be secured one lto a door and the 'other'to a door frame above the door, each bracket carryinga socket, pegs coniie'cted with end portions of said strip, one peg extending upwardly'from thestrip for engagemerit in the? socket of the'frame-carried bracket jand the otherpeg extending downwardly from the strip for 'engagementiin thesocket ofIthe door" carried bracket? means to releasably se'cure each peg in the socket receiving theisame; and a buffer adapted to be'secu'red to'a doorframe in'positicn for engagement by the pin carrie'dby-the doorcarried'bracketincluding means for gripping the last mentioned peg and holding adoor closed.

" HE B RT ALFRED S'IEVENS, 

